Ricketts Shocks Ashour in Chicago
Jan 22, 2007
By Ron Beck, Squashtalk Independent News; © 2007 SquashTalk LLC

 [Windy City Main Draw]

[1st rnd -Day1] [1st rnd -Day1] [2nd rnd] [Quarter-Finals] [Semis] [Final]

 RICKETTS STARTS OUT WITH A BANG

Anthony Ricketts attacked relentlessly against Ramy Ashour . (photo:© 2007 Debra Tessier)

Anthony Ricketts came out with a clear strategy: Attack quickly and often. It was a winning approach. According to Ramy Ashour, "That was my game. I wasn't expecting it from him today. He caught me by surprise."

Ramy Ashour features an instinctive game. But Ashour's free flowing game started going wrong tonight, with errors flowing. And it was a hard road for him to recover from that.

That was Ramy's challenge in this contest. The difficulties for him started near the end of the first game. Up to that point, Ricketts and Ashour had been trading initiatives, but with Ramy Ashour putting together three rapid-fire points ending with dead winners that took him to 10-7, game ball in the first game. Give plenty of credit to Ricketts at this point. Anthony stuck with his strategy of attack. He kept up the pace, the movement, the attacks up front, and it produced, all at game point, a mystifying string of tins from the racquet of Ramy Ashour.

Suddenly, Ramy Ashour's comfortable advantage had dissipated into a 10-10 deadlock. The first sign that Ashour might not be totally focused was his query for the score at 10-10. He was either confused, or trying to buy time. Either way, his errors continued as Ricketts pressed his advantage. Ricketts stole the first game, 12-10.

The crowd was expecting a fired up Ashour to come out in game two. Instead, a further steady string of unforced errors came off of Ashour's racquet, giving Ricketts a quick 5-0 lead in the second game.

It was Anthony Ricketts who was forcing the onslought of errors. By playing Ashour's game - by forcing the game up front, by forcing the pace — Ricketts gave Ashour no time to think or to pause. Instead, Ashour continued with his instinctive approach. But with Rickett's attack, Ashour was constantly retrieving, and his backhand drives were all coming out, way too open, allowing Ricketts to continue on the attack.

"I was tired," said Ashour." from last night .... and from Toronto."

The second game went easily to Ricketts, 11-3. But the strange thing when watching Ramy Ashour, was to see his never flagging confidence. The feeling was palpible that at 3-9 and 3-10, Ashour still felt that winning the game was within grasp.

AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL

Ashour attacked with more drops, Ricketts responded with mis-direction boasts. (photo:© 2007 Debra Tessier)

The next game was simply breathtaking. Ashour came out on another level. Both players were fully focused, attacking relentlessly, and retrieving tirelessly. At both sides of the front court, the action was furious. Ashour attacked with the volley drop. Ricketts responded with the volley drop. Ashour attacked with more drops, Ricketts responded with mis-direction boasts.

This was electric squash. There were two points which were even more spectacular than the others. At 7-8, Ricketts serving, both players attacked in turn with almost perfect shots to the front, and a duel of drop shots transpired on the forehand corner, which ended with an impossible lob off the racket of Ashour, that was irretrievable by Ricketts. The second point happened at 8-9, Ricketts serving. Ricketts passed Ashour with great pace and length, and an amazing burst of speed got Ashour the retrieval off of the back wall. He was back in the point. After another 15 rallies, Ashour collected the point on a Ricketts forced tin. The third game was in Ashour's column at 11-8. Ashour now had life.

But Anthony Ricketts had the focus, the determination and the strategy to stymy the young Egyptian today. Ricketts kept up his ferocious pace and relentless attack, ultimately frustrating Ashour, to get to match ball at 10-3. But the impressive Ashour was not done - a string of lightning attacks, coupled with some Ricketts tins brought the score back to 8-10 in a seeming instant. Ashour was now truly back in the match.

But a loose shot by Ricketts, that Ashour neglected to call a let on, left Ashour undecided for a moment, and his resultant reaction shot after "coming around" on the back wall left Ricketts with the final opening he needed to close out a very impressive win at three games to one.

Ricketts said, "He beat me the last three times out, so he's not used to losing to me, but I've been working on my short game for the past two years now. And I give Ashour credit for taking the loss with grace."

WHITE: ONE MATCH TOO FAR

John White didn't have the stamina left to take on a totally serious and on-form Amr Shabana.. (photo:© 2007 Debra Tessier)

John White, following his thrilling come-from-behind win over Gregory Gaultier last evening, didn't have the stamina left to take on a totally serious and on-form Amr Shabana.

After a handful of interesting and well-fought points, John White was already fatigued. He went into a modified exhibition mode, playing a number of dramatic and intriguing points, with some great gets and angles. But a patient and focused Amr Shabana wasn't going to be White's foil. Shabana kept it close but under control, and the two delighted the crowd of some 175 fans. But there was absolutely no doubt who was going to win this nightcap, and Amr Shabana was able to husband significant energy for his upcoming battle with Ricketts.

Shabana said, "I was fortunate that John had a very hard match yesterday, unlike two years ago here when he got the better of me."

Shabana added, "I am looking forward to a very tough match tomorrow, Ricketts is looking very strong."

[Complete draw and results]

RESULTS:        Infor Windy City Open Squash Championship, Chicago, USA   

Semi finals:      [Windy City Main Draw]
[1] Amr Shabana (EGY) def [8] John White (SCO) 11-3 11-6 11-7 (32 min)
[5] Anthony Ricketts (AUS) def [6] Ramy Ashour (EGY) 11-10(2-0) 11-3 8-11 11-8 (70 min)